CVE-2017-16206
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe cofee-script module exfiltrates sensitive data such as a user's private SSH key and bash history to a third party server during installation.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe cofee-script npm package contains malicious code that exfiltrates sensitive user data (private SSH keys and bash history) to an unauthorized third-party server during package installation. This supply chain attack steals credentials and command history which could enable further compromise.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 1.0.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if cofee-script package is installedRun 'npm list cofee-script' or check package.json for the cofee-script dependency. Note the spelling: cofee-script (not coffee-script)Affected if The cofee-script package appears in installed dependencies
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Verify the installed versionRun 'npm list cofee-script' or 'npm view cofee-script version' to get the exact version numberAffected if Version is 1.0.1
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Inspect postinstall scriptRun 'npm show cofee-script scripts' or examine node_modules/cofee-script/package.json for the 'postinstall' script entryAffected if A postinstall script exists that references network transmission or credential access
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Check for suspicious network connectionsReview network logs for outbound connections from npm install process to unknown servers, or run 'netstat' during installation to monitor connectionsAffected if Data is being sent to an unauthorized third-party server during package installation
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Audit for compromised credentialsCheck if SSH private keys or bash history files may have been accessed or transmitted - review system logs and any unexpected network traffic to unknown endpointsAffected if SSH keys or bash history were exfiltrated to an attacker-controlled server
If cofee-script version 1.0.1 is installed and its postinstall script executes during npm install, the system has been compromised by this supply chain attack.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataImmediately remove the cofee-script package from all affected systems, revoke any SSH keys that may have been compromised, rotate credentials, and audit for additional indicators of compromise.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,168.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-16206 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-16206 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data